Head suspensions for supporting a head over a rotating disk in hard disk drives are well known. Such head suspensions typically comprise a load beam having a flexure or gimbal at its distal end. A head slider having a read/write transducer is mounted to the flexure. In operation, the rotating disk creates an air bearing on which the head slider floats. The head suspension provides a spring force counteracting the force generated by the air bearing to position the slider at a specified “fly height”. The flexure is sufficiently compliant to allow the slider to pitch and roll in response to fluctuations in the air bearing created by variations in the surface of the rotating disk. In this manner, the head slider is supported and can be positioned over the disk by an actuator assembly driven by a voice coil motor to read or write information on the disk.
The use of a dimple, formed in a surface of the head suspension, is also well known. Dimples are used to transfer the spring force generated by the head suspension to the slider and to provide a point about which the slider can move or gimbal in pitch and roll directions at the fly height. Such dimples are commonly referred to as “load point dimples” or “load points” and can be formed in a load point region or “tongue” of the flexure to engage the load beam. Alternately, load point dimples can be formed in a load point region of the load beam and engage the flexure. Since load beams and flexures are typically manufactured from stainless steel, the formed load point is also stainless steel and therefore provides a hard link between the flexure and the load beam.
Load point dimples are typically formed by forming or etching processes or by fixing a spherical ball between the flexure and load beam. Examples of such load point structures are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,167,765 to Watrous; 5,428,490 to Hagen; and 6,181,522 to Carlson. Load points such as those described in the above references readily transfer undesirable vibration to the slider during drive operation. Undesirable vibration energy caused from excitation of the voice coil motor or “windage” from the rotating disk can also be transferred through the head suspension to the slider via the load point.
There is a continuing need for improved load points in head suspensions. Specifically, there is a need for a load point and related manufacturing processes that can minimize the amount of vibration energy that is transferred to the slider. To be commercially viable, any such load point should be capable of being efficiently manufactured.